Quick detachable audio-frequency connector



y 9, 1946. w. J. MORLOCK ET AL 2,403,677

QUICK DETACHABLE AUDIO FREQUENCY CONNECTOR Filed Oct. 25, 1943 Z SheecS-Sheet 1 y 9, 6 w. J. MbRLocK ETAL 2,403,677

QUICK DETACHABLE AUDIO FREQUENCY CONNECTOR Filed Oct 25, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2' VEN TORS William elf/ %z'lacif EJPicfiar Gil 2112mm HTTOE/YE Y Patented July 9, 1946 QUICK DETACHABLE AUDIO-FREQUENCY CONNECTOR William Joseph Morlock and Richard Clabeau Willman, Indianapolis, Ind., assignors to Radio Corporation of America, a corporation of Delaware Application October 25, 1943, Serial No. 507,630

- 4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a quick detachable waterproof audio frequency connector particularly adapted to connect telephone sets to telephone lines in exposed places subject to the infiuence of water. This connector is peculiarly adapted to, the connection of telephone sets to the lines on submarines so that the telephone Set can be used on the deck or in such exposed locations on the submarine and can be quickly detached without any possibility of leakage. The connection is also adapted to be used in any exposed position, for instance on decks of ships where it may be exposed to spray or waves.

The invention involves a housed and hermetically sealed transformer half and a quickly detachable transformer half connected to the telephone set. The term transformer half does not refer to a geometrical half of a transformer nor to the exact proportions of the core nor to the turns ratio, but it refers to a core member with one winding which, in conjunction with the other transformer portion comprising an additional core member and an additional winding, will constitute a complete transformer. These transformer heads are arranged to be placed in proper juxtaposition sothat audio frequency current can be transmitted from one half to the other half but without any mechanically open connection by which water can be communicated from one half to the other. The removable half is connected to the telephone set in the usual manner, for example by a flexible cord and the disconnection of the telephoneset can be accomplished by a jerk on the cord.

One object of the invention is to provide a waterproof telephone connector unit.

Another object of the invention is to provide a telephone connector unit which will withstand several hundred pounds water pressure.

Another object of the invention is to provide a telephone connector unit which can be used submerged.

Another object of the invention is to provide a telephone connector unit which remains hermetically sealed whether the telephone is connected to the unit or not.

Another object of the invention is to provide a telephone connection which is instantaneously detachable.

Another object of the invention is to provide a telephone connection which will not short circuit when immersed in sea water.

Other and incidental objects of the invention will be apparent from the reading of the following specification and inspection of the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a section, taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2, of the connector and its attached plug,

Figure 2 is a, topvlew of the connector with the plug removed, I

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the III-III of Fig. 1, and

Fig. .4 is a partly diagrammatic sectional view of a submarine showing a typical telephone installation within the invention.

Referring. first to Fig. l, th base of the connector includes the castingor forging l0, which is adapted to be secured to an appropriat conduit 38 (Fig. 4) at H. The member i0 is preferably of tinned bronze although it may be made of such other material as is appropriate and is preferably provided with a pair of oppositely located lugs Na, lllb (Fig. 2) for attaching the said base member to the bridge or hull of a submarine 31 (Fig. 4). The conduit or cable connections 33 (Fig. 4) may be made in any manner appropriate to resist the water pressure to which the device is to be subjected. The cover i2 is made of an appropriate material, such as a laminated phenolic condensation product, which is adapted to withstandhigh hydraulic pressure without losing its insulating properties. The cover is secured to the base In by screws H. A rubber gasket II is clamped between the cover and the base in order to secure line a water-tight joint. A transformer half i5 is secured to the under side of the cover i2 by an appropriate clamp 33. This transformer half reaches to the laminatedphenolic layer l1 and is fitted tightly through the cover plate 12. The layer I1 is therefore supported under almost its entire area by the cover plate l2 and the core end pieces l5a, l5b of the transformer IS. The layer H is secured to the cover plate l2 by Bakelite cement or similar material so that the members l2 and I! are substantially a single piece of material- The thickness of the member I! determines the air gap in the transformer core although the thickness of the layer I1 is primarily determined by the water pressure which it will be compelled to stand and the loss level which is permitted in this apparatus. In order that the transformer half 15 should co-act with the other transformer half properly and prevent low frequency loss with this wide air gap, it is desirable to' introduce a capacitor it connected across the transformer half I 5. The capacitor and the winding 19 on the transformer half l5 are connected to an appropriate terminal board Ii.

The connection to this receptacle and line connected transformer half is accomplished by a plug generally indicated at 20. This plug includes a transformer half 2| adapted to cooperate with the transformer half It, and the transformer half 2| has an appropriate winding 22 to cooperate with the telephone set 40 (Fig. 4). It should be noted that this connection does not transmit direct current and that there )is no need for transmitting direct current since this type of unit is used largely with sound powered telephones, i. e., the transmitter of the telephone functions as a generator and the receiver is of the electro-dynamic type. The unit is however adapted to function with any other type of telephone provided that it does not require the transmission of direct current. For example, amplifiers may be separately installed on either or both sides of the connection if desired. The plug has a substantially circular base member 23 which is adapted to be held to the surface of the member i1 by appropriate spring clips 24 attached to the member l2 and cooperating with a circular projection on the member 23. The member 23 is held in appropriate orientation by a flat member 25 secured into the member l2 and cooperating with a flat surface 26 on the base member 23. This arrangement compels the core halves of the transformer half 2| to be accurately located in respect to the core halves of the transformer half IS. The base 23 is supplied with an appropriate cover member 21 and an appropriate clamp member 20 for securing the connecting cord.

The transformer half 2|, 22 is secured to an insulating member 29 by an appropriate clamp 30 and the insulating member is secured in the base member 23 by an appropriate threaded collar 3|. The insulating member extends into contact with the member I1 when the plug is attached to the receptacle. The insulating member 29 may be sealed on its exterior surface by an appropriate layer of insulating material to prevent any entry of water.

The particular plug described is intended to accommodate an ordinary cord 34 (Fig. 4) such as will be found on sound powered telephones, and the assembly is particularly adapted for use between the bridge 35 and the interior I! of a submarine 81. The plug 20 is releasable from the base or receptacle by a slight pull, and if the submarine is about to dive the operator of the telephone set, with his telephone set, merely picks up the plug and enters the submarine. The plug 20 may be connected to a pressure proof cable (instead of to the ordinary telephone cord 34), the insulating member 29 may be secured in the same way as the member l1, and the cap 21 may be secured to the base 23 with appropriate pressure resistance cement in addition to the gasket 32 so that it is, in turn, pressure-proof. If a submarine is sunk or disabled, communication can be had with the interior of the submarine through this pressure-proof plug, and even if the submarine is lying on the bottom in several hundred feet of water communication can be carried on continuously with the surface.

We claim as our invention:

1. Apparatus for audio frequency communication with the interior of a ship having a metallic hull including telephone instruments within said hull, an insulating member forming a watertight portion of said hull, a transformer half contained under said member with its core extending into said member, the transformer half being electrically connected with the telephone instruments within said hull and being adapted to cooperate with an adjacent transformer half located in a removable plug outside of said cover.

2. Apparatus for audio frequency communication with the interior of a ship having a metallic hull including telephone instruments within said hull, a metallic housing connected to the interior of the hull, an insulating cover hermetically sealed to said housing, a transformer half contained in said housing with its core extending into said cover, the transformer half being electrically connected with the telephone instruments within said hull and being adapted to cooperate with an adjacent transformer half located in a removable plug outside of said cover.

3. Apparatus for audio frequency communication with the interior of a submersible ship having a metallic hull including telephone instruments within said hull, a non-metallic portion in said hull, a transformer half contained under said portion with its core extending into said portion, the transformer half being electrically connected with the telephone instruments within said hull and being adapted to cooperate with an adjacent transformer half located in a removable plug outside of said portion.

4. Apparatus for audio frequency communication with the interior of a submersible ship having a metallic hull including telephone instruments within said hull, a metallic housing 'connected to the interior of the hull, an insulating cover hermetically sealed to said housing, a transformer half contained in said housing with its core extending into said cover, the transformer half being electrically connected with the telephone instruments within said hull and being adapted to cooperate with an adjacent transformer half located in a removable plug outside of said cover.

WILLIAM JOSEPH MORLOCK. RICHARD CLABEAU WILLMAN. 

